Grey Shadows
by Composition
Summary: After Ella's curse was broken, she and Char intended to marry. However, Ella disappeared just weeks before their wedding. Finally, after months of futile searching, Char was forced to let her go. Set 12 years after the end of Ella's curse.
1. Prologue: A Winter's Tale

Disclaimer: I do not own Ella Enchanted.

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_Prologue: A Winter's Tale_

The snow fell gently against the meandering stone path that weaved throughout the bare gardens of the old castle. Winter in Kyrria had certainly taken her toll on the signs of nature's life: the beautiful geraniums, roses, and violets of spring were nonexistent, as were the vibrant colors of tree leaves in autumn. Indeed, at that moment in Kyrria there were no leaves, only naked branches that cast long, grey shadows against the untouched white ground. However, despite appearances, winter was not the season of death but of purification and introspection. Winter was the axis on which all other seasons turned.

The aroma of the outside was also significantly different now than at other times of the year. Winter carried a fresh, clean, almost concealed fragrance that contrasted greatly with the bold, overt, and heavy smells of the sweet of spring, musk of fall, and dew of summer. Without a doubt, the winter carried a quiet, tranquil, incomparable beauty all of her own. The season knew of her unique qualities and treasured them with cloaked, knowing smiles, for her beauty was a sleepy, wistful kind that hinted at romance and whimsy and all the things that seemed only possible in dreams.

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**Author's Note:** My chapters will not all be this short. Please remember that this is just the prologue and that subsequent chapters will consist of more than two paragraphs :-)  



	2. Celebrations and Such

Disclaimer: I do not own Ella Enchanted.

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_Chapter One: Celebrations and Such_

Inside the old castle much revelry was taking place in honor of Prince Charmont's thirtieth birthday. Ironically, the prince had long ago deserted the loud, boisterous party in favor of the solitude provided by the castle's candle tree grove. But no one inside appeared to notice his absence; most likely, all the guests were far too drunk to know _their own faces_, let alone recognize when someone else whom they were not intimately acquainted with was gone.

Standing outside, enveloped by surges of blustery winter winds that shrieked against the trees, causing them to creak and groan as they bent, Char shivered slightly and gritted his teeth. His clothes provided him little warmth as they were designed foremost for decorative and arguably, ostentatious purposes – not for rational, sensible ones like keeping the occupant from freezing.

Frowning, Char acknowledged the fact that he could always return to the party and if he wished, he could even enjoy the dense warmth generated by the feeling of wine in one's stomach. But Char had no intention of returning to the material comforts provided by the castle. While the castle could provide him with heat, it also hesitated not a moment to shroud him with the corrupt, licentious attention of both married ladies and _innocent_ lasses alike. He knew undeniably that the moment he rejoined the party, women would flock to him and stand on their toes in order to whisper in his ears invitations to their beds, not caring that he had announced his engagement to Lady Lena Devron several months prior. Shaking his head in disgust, Char knew he wanted nothing to do with the unbridled debauchery that occurred at every major celebration: the men, drunk, rowdy, and crude, and the women, equally drunk, disgustingly wanton and shameless.

Resolutely, Char brushed aside his thoughts and instead struck forward on the stone path, hurriedly walking away from the castle while pushing deeper into the grove.

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Lady Lena Devron took a last deep breath, exhaled, and firmly opened the library's ornate oak double doors. Immediately, the quiet that she had eagerly possessed in the sanctuary of the old castle's empty library was replaced with the booming sounds of chatter interspersed with sharp, high-pitched or low, rumbling laughter and further mingled, although less noticeably, with the music of the orchestra playing far below. Inwardly wincing, Lena managed to keep a smile plastered to her face as she descended the spiraling staircase.

"Leeeeeena!" A girlish squeal penetrated Lena's thoughts. After quickly scanning the crowd to find the voice that had called for her, Lena's gaze met with a vaguely familiar looking blonde. The girl, waving frantically, began to shove her way through the throngs of people; when she had finally managed to sidle up to within inches of Lena, she began to squeal again. "Leeena! You look amaaazing! Oh, I am so jealous of you! Look at you - your dress, your hair . . . oh, it must be great, great fun to be you!"

Uncomfortably, Lena gave the blonde a polite, noncommittal smile to which the girl gasped, "Certainly you haven't forgotten me? Why, you and I were such good friends - we always _did_ have so much fun at all those balls that the king held two years ago to find Prince Charmont a bride!"

And then as it clicked, Lena's smile immediately turned chilly and when she spoke her voice was flat, "How do you do, Marissa?"

"Wonderful, wonderful, I am wonderful!" Marissa replied ingratiatingly.

"And are there any new developments you wish to inform me of in your quest to find an excessively wealthy husband?"

"Oh my dear, how you do jest!" The blonde began to laugh and quiver hysterically and showed no signs of ceasing, even when Lena narrowed her eyes.

"Really? I jest?" Lena intoned sarcastically. "Tell me, Marissa, at those balls you just so nostalgically recollected for me, did you or did you not viciously attack me after each encounter I had with Char? Is that your definition of friendship? Because heaven forgive me if I mistook your _kind_ actions as mean-spirited."

At Lena's bold confrontation, Marissa blanched and stuttered for words, "L-Lena, really . . . what you c-call 'vicious attacks' were j-just lighthearted jokes. I-I didn't mean any harm! Surely you can see that!"

Observing Marissa's frightened face, Lena began to feel pity tugging at her heart. Yes, two years ago at those balls Marissa had attempted to thwart her from becoming acquainted with Char. It had begun at the first of five consecutive balls; she had been in the receiving line and had stood directly behind Marissa. When it was Marissa's turn to greet Char, he had smiled, bowed, bade her good evening and then had turned to Lena. Somehow, Lena remembered, she had made Char laugh and after he bowed to her, he requested that she give him the pleasure of sharing the first dance. Marissa had seen what transpired and she had been furious. Just as soon as she had left the receiving line, Marissa waited for the right moment and then suddenly stepped on the back of her gown, tearing it horribly. Lena had been humiliated as everyone around her, assuming that she had done it herself out of clumsiness, gaped at her ruined dress, while Marissa slid off unnoticed into the crowd.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Lena tilted her head and sighed. She could not be angry with Marissa any longer. Marissa had simply done what she thought was necessary to securing a needed position for herself. But Marissa had lost and she, Lena, had won over Char. After those five balls, Char began to court her solely and now, two years later, she was his fiancée. In five months time their wedding would occur and in one year's time, King Jerrold, who had recently been sufficiently weakened from an illness, would step down as king and Char would take his place. In one year's time she would be queen. Realization dawned on Lena as she stared at Marissa's widened eyes; all of Kyrria, including Marissa, knew that Char would become king soon. And with that knowledge the blonde was attempting to use her connection to Lena to the best of her advantage; after all, being the friend of the future queen was a worthy title to have.

Not one to be used, nor one to be entirely cold-hearted, Lena nodded her head graciously while sinking into a half-curtsy. While she was in her bent position, Lena stole a last look at Marissa before rising and slipping away into the crowd.


	3. Something Magical

Disclaimer: I do not own Ella Enchanted.

Goodness, it's been months since I've updated and I bet everyone thought that I had simply abandoned this story. Not true, though. I am terribly sorry for not updating sooner but I've been so incredibly busy with school that I've had no time to devote to my story - but I promise that I'll do my best to update as often as possible :-)

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_Something Magical  
_

Suddenly in the night a loud roar streaked through the peaceful silence, sending Char's gaze immediately up toward the heavens. In the distance the low rumbling sound of thunder could be heard, growing louder and louder every few moments. Furrowing his brow, Char took a few dancing steps backward, knowing what would be coming soon.

And then it hit.

Out of nowhere, rain poured down in heavy sheets from the black sky, seeping into Char's clothing effortlessly, drenching him to his very core. Char stood still for a moment, allowing his body to adjust to the sudden change of weather. As he stood silently in the rain he felt a smile slowly start to tug at his lips; after all, he hadn't stood in the rain like this since he was a little boy and now that he was doing so once again had a strange, almost drugging effect on him. He felt free, innocent, rejuvenated.

As the rain continued to pound against the stone path, Char, always perceptive, vaguely wondered how it could possibly be raining in the winter. Snow, he expected, but rain . . . rain only came to Kyrria in the spring and summer. Never, not once in his life, did he remember having rain in Kyrria during the winter season.

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Lena gathered the sides of her full ball gown into her hands, making sure that the fine material did not trail behind her on the ground. It wasn't that it would make such a difference if the dress did happen to dirty, but Lena had always appreciated beauty and refinement and if there was one thing that she hated it was seeing people be flippant about how they treated their belongings. As far as Lena was concerned, if she, well, technically her father, had spent the money on this gown, the least she could do was to respect it. Elegance. Life was about elegance. 

Lena frowned, a slight shadow crossing her face. She knew very well that she often came across as pretentious or assuming, but to the extent that she understood herself, arrogant was the last thing she was. Simply because she refused to lower herself into the midst of shameless debauchery that the Kyrrian elite had dissolved into did not mean that she considered herself better or more worthy than those who had. Yes, she was conservative in comparison to the younger set of the Kyrrian court, but she didn't behave so to highlight the moral shortcomings in them; she simply behaved in accordance with what she believed to be true. As far as she could see, there was no sense in being anyone other than who one was.

Nearing one of the castle's ceiling-to-floor length glass windows, Lena's thoughts stopped abruptly as she noticed the rain deluging the outside. Feeling her fingers tingle, Lena had the childish urge to run outside and dance, arms flailing, head tossed back, hair loose, in the rain. And more than that, something, some almost magical force, seemed to be beckoning her to come out and play.

Pressing her fingers against the cool glass, Lena bit her lip as she gently leaned her cheek against the pane, peering out of the corner of her eye into the night. It was such a rare instance that it would be raining, not snowing, in the winter that she couldn't bear to watch this opportunity to let loose slip through her fingers.

Surreptitiously, Lena cast a glance around the room at the crowd. Certainly she wouldn't be missed . . . by now most of the guests were plum drunk off of wine and other equally drugging beverages. No, they wouldn't notice if she disappeared . . .

Forgetting that eventually she would have to re-enter the castle in a wet gown, Lena decided that rain wouldn't harm the delicate material. After all, rain was water, and water was what was used to normally clean the garment. It wasn't as if she was going to tramp around in mud, so technically, she wouldn't be dirtying her dress . . .

Suddenly, the orchestra began to play an uplifting tune that caused a drunken cheer to arise in the crowd, the people all turning immediately to the sound of the bows dancing across the strings of violins and cellos. Seeing her opportunity to flee the stifling crowd, Lena slipped through the closest door, out into the cool night.

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End file.
